Xiao Wang   , Zepu Kou   , Yanshuang He    , Xuemei Li   , Xiaofei Liu   , Jun Yin  *  , Wanlin Guo  

Appl. Surf. Sci（IF:6.3）,Available online 12 April 2025

ABSTRACT

 Interfacial van der Waals interactions are ubiquitous and play pivotal roles in diverse fields, ranging from  microelectromechanical systems to atomic manufacturing. Clarifying its penetration depth and sub-surface  contributions is crucial for revealing the structure–property relationship and its potential on-demand design.  Taking inert monolayer boron nitride as a model system, we demonstrated that substrate notably contribute to its  van der Waals adhesion with objects in contact with it. Atomic force microscopy spectrum and density functional  theory calculations consistently indicate that the critical adhesion pressure exerted on the tip by copper-  supported monolayer BN is stronger than that by bulk BN. Decoupling BN from copper through oxygen inter calation results in a notable reduction in surface adhesion. These results shed light on ways to modulating  interfacial van der Waals interactions.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.163261